Storage cartons for tabulating cards



Oct. 16, 1962 P. B. WlLLrAMS STORAGE CARTONS FOR TABULATING CARDS Filed Nov. 17, 1960 INVENTOR Paul B. Williams ATTORNEYS 3,958,583 STORAGE CARTONS FOR TABULATING CARDS Paul B. Williams, 1010 Broad St., Newark 2, NJ. Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,941 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-62) The present invention relates to improved cartons adapted to properly store tabulating cards of types conventionally employed in computers and other data processing machines; and is more particularly concerned with a carton structure adapted to obviate various disadvantages of storage structures conventionally employed heretofore during storage of cards before and after their use in machine processing.

Various forms of tabulating cards are known at the present time, these cards normally comprising a heavy paper structure of elongated rectangular shape, having provision thereon for the storage of information in the form of punched holes or otherwise. Such cards, prior to actual employment in a tabulating operation, are conventionally of unperforated configuration; and are normally packaged and shipped in stacks for use as may be desired. In actual practice, it has been found that the forms of card structure and shipping structures employed heretofore have resulted in damage to the cards which damage has resulted in defective data processing.

A typical form of damage, resulting in such defective data processing, constitutes edge mutilation of the cards due to shifting of cards during shipment or storage; and such edge mutilation, as well as other forms of mutilation which can occur, have been responsible for a major portion of the card jams and machine processing difiiculties that are experienced by all tabulating groups.

In my prior copending application, Serial No. 8,047, filed February 11, 1960, for: Shipping and Storage Cartons for Tabulating Cards, I have described improved carton structures adapted to obviate a number of the difficulties which have been experienced heretofore in the shipping and storage of tabulating cards. In that prior application, I have described a shipping and storage carton comprising a corrugated or heavy paper primary carton of relatively large size designed to receive therein a plurality of uprightly disposed; elongated corrugated paper secondary cartons stacked in back-to-back relation Within said primary carton. The secondary cartons are, during shipment, normally positioned within this primary carton so that their directions of elongation are generally vertical, whereby stacks of tabulating cards disposed within said secondary cartons are caused to lie on their flat surfaces rather than on their edges; and this disposition of the secondary cartons, along with proper attention to the dimensions of the secondary cartons has materially reduced card damage and particularly has reduced edge mutilation by inhibiting shifting of cards therein.

A structure of the type described, comprising a primary carton and a plurality of elongated secondary cartons, can be used not only for shipping but also, later, for card storage at a processing station. In this latter respect, the secondary cartons, upon being removed from the primary carton, can be used as racks for the tabulating cards contained therein; and cards can be removed therefrom for use as desired, with processed cards being thereafter returned to the secondary cartons for further storage therein after card processing operations.

In practice, it has been found that even though the overall arrangement described reduces edge mutilation and other possible card damage during shipment and card storage, this reduction in card damage is most effective only when the secondary cartons are full of cards. When the secondary cartons are employed as storage racks, however, bundles of cards may be removed therefrom for use 3,958,583 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 in processing, and the cards remaining within the cartons do not thereafter completely fill the cartons. In such circumstances, the cards remaining in the secondary cartons can shift about; and some card damage may therefore occur.

The present invention is particularly directed to an improved form of carton, which may be employed as a secondary carton in the arrangements described above, or which may be employed by itself as a storage or shipping carton; and which is so arranged that the carton may be subdivided into smaller volumes as cards are removed therefrom, so as to inhibit shifting of cards remaining in the carton even though some cards originally therein have been removed. By this arrangement, therefore, card mutilation is inhibited at data processing stations even though the carton no longer contains as many cards as were originally therein.

To this effect, and as will become apparent from the subsequent description, the present invention contemplates the provision of a carton, particularly adapted for use in the storage of tabulating cards, so arranged that portions of a surface of the carton may be depressed into engagement with an opposite surface of the carton, to subdivide the carton into smaller volumes after some cards have been removed therefrom, thereby to permit the remaining cards to be stored in a restricted volume, consistent with the actual number of cards remaining in the carton, to inhibit shifting of these remaining cards and edge mutilation thereof.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of carton for use in the shipping and storage of tabulating cards.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a normally undivided carton containing integral means adapted to subdivide the carton into smaller volumes, as may be described.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of improved carton structures adapted to reduce tabulating card mutilation, and particularly mutilation which may occur to such cards during card storage before and after data processing operations.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved storage carton for tabulating cards adapted to receive and retain different numbers of cards while still inhibiting shifting of such cards.

The foregoing objects, advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carton for tabulating cards constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the carton shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a blank which may be employed in constructing the carton of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the several figures, like numerals of which identify like parts throughout, it will be noted that the cartons of the present invention may be formed from a blank (shown in FIGURE 3) having a panel 10 forming the bottom of the carton panels 11 forming the sides of the carton panels, 12 and an overlying panel 13 forming the rear upstanding portion of the carton, a panel 14 forming the top of the carton, and panels 15 forming sides of the carton and extending downwardly from the top panel 14. The front of the carton is formed by a pair of panels 16 cooperating with a front panel 17 overlying the exterior of said panels 116; and panel 17 is joined to a further outwardly extending panel 18 adapted to be folded over the upper edges of panels 16 so as to overlie the rear surfaces thereof in a plane 3 parallel to that of panel 17, thereby to look the front portion of the carton and to hold the remainder of the carton in a desired configuration.

The several dotted lines shown in FIGURE 3 represent fold lines, while the several solid lines represent scoring lines; and in the assembly of the blank shown in. FIGURE 3, it will be appreciated that the carton may be formed by folding the side panels 11 upwardly with respect to bottom panel 10, thereafter folding the panels 16 inwardly toward one another, folding the panel 17 upwardly over these panels 16, and thereafter folding the panel 18 over the tops of panels 16 and downwardly into the carton in a direction generally parallel to panel 17. This particular interfolding and interlocking arrangement is shown in the lefthand portion of FIGURE 2.

The rear portion of the carton is formed by folding panels 12 inwardly, and by thereafter folding panel 13 upwardly to overlie panels 12 on the exterior surface thereof. The panels 14 and 15 then form the top of the carton, with the panels 15 extending downwardly from panel 14 for insertion into the sides of the carton in directions generally parallel to side panels 11, all as depicted in FIGURE 1.

Front panel 17 of the carton is preferably formed with a pair of slots 19 adapted, upon the entire carton being folded into position, to act as retaining means for the edge of a tabulating card; and a typical such card, inserted into place in slots 19 on the exterior of the carton, can be employed to identify the cards contained within the carton so as to facilitate actual handling and usage of the cards in practice. Front panel 17 further includes a scored or perforated section 20 adapted to be punched from the remainder of panel 17 so as to provide a tab 21 (see FIGURES 1 and 2); and this tab 21 is designed to facilitate manipulation of the carton during use of the carton as'a storage facility on storage shelves or the like, during actual processing of the cards. A similar such perforated or scored section 22 is provided in the upper panel 14 of the carton and is adapted to provide a tab 23 (see FIGURE 1) to further assist in the manipulation of the cartons, particularly to facilitate handling of the cartons when they are to be inserted into or removed from larger primary cartons of the types already described.

The carton shown in FIGURE 1 is arranged to have a width and height which corresponds closely to the length and width dimensions, respectively, of tabulating cards 24 stored therein; and in particular, the dimensions are so chosen that the tabulating cards cannot move laterally or vertically within the cartons thereby to prevent edge mutilation of the cards during storage and use of said cards in the cartons. In practice, however, it will be appreciated that notwithstanding this choice of carton dimensions, such card shifting is prevented only so long as the carton is substantially full. If, however, as normally occurs during card processing, any significant number of the cards 24 should be removed from an originally full carton, the remaining card's, while still being prevented from shifting laterally or vertically, can fall or slide into the empty space resulting from such card removal; and as a result some card shifting can still occur, with the attendant possibility of edge mutilation.

The carton of the present invention includes integral structure, however, arranged to prevent this further difficulty; and is in particular so arranged that after a group of cards have been removed from the carton, a portion of the carton structure can be folded downwardly and inwardly to subdivide the interior volume of the carton into a smaller volume adapted to retain the remaining cards and to prevent shifting of such remaining cards.

To this elfect, the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is designed to permit the carton to be subdivided into volumes corresponding to substantially two-thirds of the carton volume and one-third of the carton volume, as cards are successively removed from the carton. It will be appreciated, of course, as the description proceeds, that this form of subdivision occurs by reason of the particular arrangement of subdividing structure employed, and by reason of the fact that the subdividing structures are two in number, and are so located relative to one another that this two-thirds and one-third division occurs. By appropriate changes in the location and number of subdividing structures, however, any other subdivisions desired can be effected.

In providing for the subdivisions described, the top panel 14 of the carton is preferably provided with a pair of perforated or score line sections adapted to form flaps or auxiliary walls which may be caused to extend across the interior of the carton, when desired. Two such perforated sections are shown in the top panel 14 of the carton; and these have been designated respectively 25 and 26. Each of said perforated sections 25 and 26 is of generally U-shaped configuration whereby (see FIG- URES 1 and 2), the portion of upper panel 14 bounded by score lines such as 25 (or 26) may be depressed away from the plane of top panel 14 and into the interior of the carton to provide an interior panel or flap 27 extending downwardly toward the bottom panel 10 of the carton. The perforated or score lines 25 and 26 are so shaped that the flap or auxiliary wall 27, formed by depression of the top panel section bounded by these score lines, includes a tongue or tab 28; and the bottom panel 10 of the carton is in turn provided with abutment means such as a pair of elongated slot-like apertures 29 and 30 (or with perforation lines adapted to be punched from the bottom panel, thereby to form apertures such as 29 and 39), adapted to receive or otherwise engage the tabs 28.

It will be appreciated that slot aperture 29 is designed to cooperate with the panel section 27 folded from top panel 14', while slot aperture 30 is designed to cooperate with the flap or panel section provided on the interior of the carton upon folding of the top panel portion associatcd with score or perforation lines 26. The actual interlocking of flap 27 and particularly of tab 28 thereof, with the aperture 29, has been depicted in FIGURE 2.

In actual use, when a number of cards approximating one-third of the cards originally in the box have been removed from the box, the portion of top panel 14 bounded by lines 26 can be folded downwardly and into engagement with aperture 30, thereby to reduce the interior volume of the box to substantially two-thirds of its original volume, located at the forward end of the carton. If further cards should thereafter be removed from the carton, the panel 27 can be folded downwardly from score lines 25 and into engagement with aperture 29 so as to further reduce the operative volume of the carton to substantially one-third of its original volume. If, after machine operations, it is desired to return cards to the carton, the interior panels can be readily disengaged from aperture 29 or 30 and folded upwardly into the plane of top panel 14 thereby to increase the operative volume of the carton to a volume consistent with the actual number of cards being stored therein. As a result, varying numbers of cards can be removed from or returned to the carton; and the cards actually in the car-ton will nevertheless be prevented from shifting therein, due to the fact that the cards in the carton are trapped within a volume consistent with the actual number of cards in the carton.

As already discusssed, apertures 29 and 30 act as abutment means for the lower edges of the interior flaps or walls. Other forms of abutment means can be employed; and the abutment means may, in some circumstances, be dispensed with if frictional forces alone suffice to retain the interior flaps in place. The significant weight of the cards in the carton normally makes the prow'sion of abutment means highly preferable, however. It will more over be appreciated that while, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the subdividing panels in the embodiment shown are caused to be folded from the top of the carton toward the bottom thereof, other arrangements are possible, eg the panels may be folded from the bottom of the carton towards the top, or in the alternative between the sides of the carton. Other variations will be suggested to those skilled in the art. It must be emphasized, therefore, that while I have described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing discussion is meant to be illustrative only and should not be considered limitative of my invention. All such variations and modifications as are in accord with the principles of the invention are meant to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A tabulating card storage unit comprising a six-sided carton of elongated configuration having a normally undivided interior volume for substantially non-shifting storage of a relatively large number of tabulating cards, the width of said carton being greater than the height thereof with said carton width and height being substantially equal respectively to the length and width of tabulating cards to be stored therein, the top and bottom of said carton extending along the length of said carton with said length of said carton being appreciably greater than both the width and height of said carton whereby both the top and bottom of said carton are of elongated configuration, one end of said carton top being hinged to said carton across the width of said carton whereby said top is adapted to be moved to open and closed positions about a narrower end thereof and along the longer dimension of said top to gain access to the interior of said carton thereby to permit removal of some of said relatively large number of tabulating cards from said carton, an intermediate portion of said hingedly movable top being scored to define a flap, extending in the direction of elongation of said top, and having a width less than the width of said carton and a length at least equal to the height of said carton, said flap being adapted to be manually depressed out of the plane of said carton top into said carton and into engagement with the bottom of said carton when said top is in closed position and subsequent to removal of cards from said carton, thereby to subdivide said previously undivided interior volume of said carton into a lesser inten'or volume having dimensions consistent with the number of cards remaining in said carton after said card re moval whereby said remaining cards may continue to be supported in substantially non-shifting relation within said carton notwithstanding the removal of cards from said carton.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said carton includes abutment means adapted to engage a portion of said flap thereby to retain said flap in place when said flap has been depressed into said carton.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said flap has a tab shaped extremity, said abutment means comprising a slotted aperture in the bottom of said carton adapted to receive said tab shaped extremity of said flap therein.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top is scored in a substantially U-shaped configuration, whereby said flap is of substantially rectangular shape.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top has two sets of score lines defining two said flaps respectively adapted to be depressed out of the plane of said carton top along a pair of fold lines respectively extending between spaced portions of each said score line, said fold lines being substantially equally spaced from one another and from the opposing ends of said elongated carton to permit said carton interior volume to be selectively subdivided into lesser interior volumes comprising substantially two-thirds and one-third of the previously undivided interior volume of said carton.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein each of said sets of score lines is of substantially 'U-shape, each of said fold lines extending respectively between the ends of the legs of one of said U-shaped score lines.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,130,230 Willets Mar. 2, 1915 2,076,844 Holmes Apr. 13, 1937 2,640,589 Foster et a1 June 2, 1953 2,938,623 Eichorn May 31, 1960 2,942,770 Eichorn June 28, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 649,414 Great Britain Jan. 24, 19 51 

